Refugees and Asylum-Seekers

Since 2005, thousands of refugees and asylum-seekers – many fleeing conflicts in Africa – have crossed into Israel through its border with Egypt. As one of the initiators of, and a signatory to the United Nations Refugees Convention (1951), Israel is bound by law to provide refuge for individuals fleeing countries deemed unsafe. Moreover, according to the principles outlined in the Convention, Israel cannot send asylum-seekers back to any country where their lives would be endangered.

ACRI ardently advocates for the fair treatment of asylum-seekers and refugees. In particular, ACRI actively protests the deportation or incarceration of asylum seekers and refugees, including children, from countries recognized as unsafe; this abhorrent practice is made legal by the Prevention Against Infiltration Law, one of many laws that undermines international law and strips this population of basic human rights. ACRI is an active member of the Refugee Rights Forum, which works to promote recognition of the rights of asylum-seekers and refugees in Israel, including access to employment, the right to family, the right to housing, and the right to adequate healthcare.